Amp Problem! (Sony)

**JFreddy** · 03-18-2005, 02:06 PM

Alright, I have a very annoying problem! I have a sony xplod deck, a sony 800w amp (one of those pentagon ones? its the red one usually sold for ab out 100$ give or take a few bucks) anyways and I have two ten inch JL W3 subs. I'm not a stereo genius but i know a little bit. so the problem is the amp keeps blowing fuses,

it didnt blow any fuses and it work fine for 4 months. I have ten guage wire for power (yes its tiny, and I have larger stuff but havent gotten around to putting it in.) the ground wire is 8 guage, and the rca jacks are all put in the proper place, none of the wires are touching eachother.. it's all been installed by me but it's been done as professional as I can get, no shortcuts at all. The fuse is a 30A green fuse, (yes its small again, but this amp kit was just a cheap one from wal-mart). I've tried everything, re wired everything, tried the subs in a diff car to see if it was the subs. I'm thinking its the amp... Is it this stupid sony amp? or might it be something else? Sorry this is so long and thanks for the help. Oh yeah ! ONe more thing, the fuse blows as soon as I turn the car on or turn the stereo on by turning the key one or two notches. But the fuse is fine until i turn the key. Now some may say its the size wire n fuse thats the problem, but... I donno it worked for the 4 months before now.

**PortugalFocus** · 03-18-2005, 02:21 PM

if it's a single 30A fuse, the I think it's the fuse. Did you touch the gain at all or the Low Bass Hz?

i'd say cram a 40A fuse in there and see what happens, either it won't blow or it will melt down.

if it does blow then something has gotten loose and is now grounding out elsewhere.

if it doesnt blow then you are fine

if it melts down then it doesnt really matter because you will need a new amp.

**Hash_man_Se_i** · 03-18-2005, 02:44 PM

I could be wrong, but couldn't it possibly be an improper ground?... try mounting it elsewhere.

Otherwise i;d just say its your POS sony amp... buy something better.

**PortugalFocus** · 03-18-2005, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Hash_man_Se_i

I could be wrong, but couldn't it possibly be an improper ground?... try mounting it elsewhere.

Otherwise i;d just say its your POS sony amp... buy something better.

Agreed it def sounds like a ground problem, that fuse will most likely on pop with electricity in open loop ( 0 resistance or infinite resistance).

**HostileJava** · 03-18-2005, 02:54 PM

Actually my Sony's have 40's in them. Did you replace the original with with a smaller size? I don't normally recommend just sticking a bigger fuse in, as that's really looked down upon as because it's a good way to damage a possibly good peice of electronics, but it sounds like you may be running a smaller amp rating then you should be.

**A20A3inside** · 03-18-2005, 04:20 PM

Yeah, I am in total aggreeance. Has to be the Ground or as I read...buy better: RF is the ONLY way....I would say to mount the AMP to the box (or trunk floor) and then scratch the metal (as you may not have the ebst ground you could have) and then see how that works.

**Hash_man_Se_i** · 03-19-2005, 01:04 AM

buy better: RF is the ONLY way

Lol... don't know who taught you about car audio, but i can tell you they are very wrong, RF is faaaaar from the best, especially as far as amps are concerned.

**Strugglebucket** · 03-19-2005, 01:45 AM

are you blowing the fuse on your amp or the fuse on your power wire??

**Hash_man_Se_i** · 03-19-2005, 12:54 PM

^^ sounds like its the one on the amp to me.

**JFreddy** · 03-19-2005, 04:05 PM

Oh Sorry I didnt specify, The fuse that is blowing is on the power wire right near the battery. The ground idea is what I thought because I tried many different spots, the only thing that kinda puzzles me about that is why it would change now... but work for the first 4 months. The fuses in the amp are two 30's and I'm pretty sure that they havent been changed, I got this amp for free from a girlfriend for doing work on her car so I don't think shes messed around with them. Also this amp has caused problems before (it's been taken back 2 times under warranty)

**87AccordsterLx** · 03-19-2005, 08:58 PM

looks like you need a new amp bro...

**JFreddy** · 03-22-2005, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by 87AccordsterLx

looks like you need a new amp bro...

**slow87LX** · 03-22-2005, 03:29 PM

are you sure your battery power wire isn't shorting out somewhere on the body? if it got kinked or sliced open and is making contact with the body that would definately blow your fuses..

**HostileJava** · 03-22-2005, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by JFreddy

Oh Sorry I didnt specify, The fuse that is blowing is on the power wire right near the battery. The ground idea is what I thought because I tried many different spots, the only thing that kinda puzzles me about that is why it would change now... but work for the first 4 months. The fuses in the amp are two 30's and I'm pretty sure that they havent been changed, I got this amp for free from a girlfriend for doing work on her car so I don't think shes messed around with them. Also this amp has caused problems before (it's been taken back 2 times under warranty)

If there are two 30's in the amp you should really be running a 50 or 60 at the battery.

**Sabz5150** · 03-22-2005, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by HostileJava

If there are two 30's in the amp you should really be running a 50 or 60 at the battery.

I'd say run a 100 amp fuse. It isn't much more than a 60, and if the amp is the problem, you're guaranteed to pop the amp fuses first.

**Sabz5150** · 03-22-2005, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by PortugalFocus

Agreed it def sounds like a ground problem, that fuse will most likely on pop with electricity in open loop ( 0 resistance or infinite resistance).

Infinite resistance is an open circuit. Ya can't pop a fuse that way. Zero resistance, now that will cook it right off.

**DXDriver** · 03-31-2005, 05:47 PM

Well it sounds like your amp is the problem, if it worked for four months before now and it just started doing this its probly the amp! I'd say that your transformer might have shorted its coil to ground. or it could be another one of the diodes or resistors have fused and caused a short

***Vanilla Sky*** · 03-31-2005, 07:23 PM

it sounds like your power wire is grouning (shorting) out... seems like slow87lx has it right

you've got problems outside of your amp...

try this...

unhook the power wire from the amp and keep it from shorting on anything... put a fresh fuse in your fuseholder by the battery... turn on your car... if it doesn't pop, then that's not your problem...

if it turns out that your power wire isn't the problem, see if you can find someone that will bench test your amp, or maybe just put the amp in another car...

**JFreddy** · 04-04-2005, 08:40 AM

Yeah I think I solved the problem, put the amp ina friends car, and it blew his 50 amp fuse at his battery. So yeah this amp has also been returned to A&B sound 2 times under warranty already, I think I'm just going to chuck it! Stupid Sony Amps!

**Hash_man_Se_i** · 04-04-2005, 12:37 PM

Yeah I think I solved the problem, put the amp ina friends car, and it blew his 50 amp fuse at his battery. So yeah this amp has also been returned to A&B sound 2 times under warranty already, I think I'm just going to chuck it! Stupid Sony Amps!

Haha cleaning out the stock room at work on the weekend we chucked two sony amps as well.

***Vanilla Sky*** · 04-04-2005, 12:52 PM

man, i wish you guys would send me all these bad amps :p

hehe, it's good to be a repair man

**Ludi Mali** · 04-04-2005, 01:16 PM

for future reference, I've found the rear shock towers to be the best place to ground an amp. you can bolt it down real tight and don't have to worry about it coming lose.

**3rdCoast** · 07-08-2005, 01:15 PM

what size fuses r in the amp. Get rid of that shitty blade fuse by ur battery and get them cylinder fuses with a holder try to get that batter fuse as close to fuse rating on ur amp (look at the fuse(s) in amp if u got more than 1 ad the fuse #'s together ei 3X25a fuses = 75a so get a batter line fuse thats as close to 75 or more than 75 and ur problem is gone. If the amps fuses r blowing than thats something that needs to be really looked at

**HostileJava** · 07-08-2005, 01:31 PM

Why is a blade fuse any worse then the cylinder ones and why did you dig up a 4 month old thread?

**3rdCoast** · 07-08-2005, 01:48 PM

blade fuses dont have as high amp rating as the cylinder fuses except the big ass maxi fuses and i was reading through these and nobody knows what they r talkin about well most dont....... also i did i to help out future problems for other ppl that may use the threat search to try to find an old threat to try to help with their problem they arent gonna get much help from a bunch of unanswered questions and mis info